Democrats call for investigation into ouster of FDLE chief

Saying there “appears to be smoke,” top Democrats Tuesday called for an investigation into Gov. Rick Scott’s ouster of former Florida Department of Law Enforcement Chief Gerald Bailey.

Bailey’s resignation followed months of tension between FDLE and Scott’s office, the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Capitol Bureau reported. The bureau reported, among other things, Scott’s campaign asked Bailey to take part in campaign events, give campaign contributions, and that Scott’s former chief-of-staff asked him to falsely claim the department was investigating the Orange County Clerk of Court.

“FDLE is everything,” said House Minority Leader Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach of the state’s top law enforcement agency. “We have to have confidence in that agency to have a democracy.”

His comments came during a joint press conference with Senate Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, who said she wanted the Florida Commission on Ethics, and legislative law enforcement committees to probe the issue.

A formal ethics complaint would need to be filed for the ethics commission to get involved, a step Joyner said Democratic lawmakers would not take.

“If it was done by one of us, it would be called political,” she said. “It’s not political.”

Pafford said that the legislature’s criminal justice committees have subpoena power, but with both chambers dominated by the GOP, legislative hearings would have to be prompted by the governor’s own party.

He said he spoke with House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, who said he’s “concerned,” but did not give any assurances about an investigation led by the legislature.

Joyner said she has not yet spoken to Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando.

Both members also want the Cabinet to formally discuss Bailey’s exit at their next meeting. Members of that body, all Republicans, include CFO Jeff Atwater, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

At last week’s Cabinet meeting, each said they were not aware of the circumstances surrounding Bailey’s exit, another point that concerned Pafford.

“It does not appear they were consulted, or part of the discussion,” he said.